He looked at her.
"I will forgive all—all," he emphasized, "if you will turn back; if you will go back to your home, and promise that this thing which he has asked you to do shall not come to pass."
She turned upon him.
"You have no right——" then she stopped, smitten with a sudden fear by the expression of his face. "I cannot do that," she said, in a constrained voice.
He closed his hands tightly together.
"Do not force me," he said. "You will not force me to compel you?"
She looked at him tremblingly.
"Force!"
"Yes, force! You speak of gratitude; but I do not rely on that. If you were really grateful to me you would go back; but you are not. I cannot trust to gratitude." Then he came closer to her, and his voice dropped.
"Stella, I have sworn that this shall not be—that he shall not have you! I cannot break my oath. Do you not understand?"